Grand Falls, New Brunswick Courthouse Building Gets New Use.

The recently closed courthouse in Grand Falls, New Brunswick is getting a new use. Family Support Orders Service will be based in the community beginning in 2017.

Premier Brian Gallant says the consolidated unit will be temporarily located in the former Grand Falls courthouse. Twenty-five jobs will be phased into the new location in Grand Falls beginning in early 2017. Gallant says the consolidation was identified to improve program performance, increase efficiency and improve court services in the province. New Brunswick is the only jurisdiction in Canada without a centralized delivery model for family support order enforcement.

Grand Falls Courthouse/Google Street View

Justice and Public Safety Minister Denis Landry says a new consolidated enforcement unit will allow for the creation of specialized units, improve quality control and provide a stronger service to clients of the program, He says the new model will also allow for expanded training opportunities for employees and will improve the distribution of workload.

Family Support Orders Service monitors compliance with family support orders and agreements that are filed with the program. It also collects and distributes family support payments and takes enforcement action as required. The program serves about 25,000 parents and 18,700 children.

Currently the employees are spread out in Edmundston, Woodstock, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Campbellton, Bathurst and Miramichi. Landry says they'll be given preference in applying for the Grand Falls positions.

The government expects to save $100,000 per year from the consolidation. The Grand Falls courthouse services were moved to Edmundston last year to save money.